Alone in the Bull Pen
by missmerrymak
Summary: They'd always been hesitant about Ellie sitting at her own desk. The previous woman must have sat there too. Though Ellie was new, she wasn't stupid.


_A/N: This just kind of popped into my head and since I've never published a Ziva or Ellie-centric story I figured that this would be a good mix. Hope you like it and review please!_

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She was alone in the bull pen. For a Monday morning with nothing to do but sort through cold case files this was not unusual. Gibbs was most likely out for coffee, Tony in the break room and McGee down with Abby. So she was left to her own devices which usually meant that all she did was work. With only a few months experience under her belt she felt like she was always a mile behind her coworkers. But she held her weight and they would always help her out, even if not in the most ethical of ways.

Tony was always nice to her. Despite the rumors she'd heard about him, he's a nice guy, witty. McGee was nice, but he was quiet. She didn't really know him that well. Him and Tony were always talking and pulling each other's chain but she knew they were like brothers. She suspected the reason that Tim hadn't opened up to her yet was because of the woman before her. Something had happened to her. She didn't know what because nobody would ever talk about her. The only time she'd caught something about a previous woman was when she first became an agent. They'd always been hesitant about her sitting at her desk. The other woman had obviously sat there too. She understood loss. She could cope with their strange looks when she did something unusual. She'd accidentally messed up an idiom once and they barely talked to her for the rest of the day. She was hurt at first. But when she talked to Ducky about it he reassured her that it shouldn't be taken personally. They were still grieving. In all honesty she'd thought the woman had died. So she'd let it lie.

She couldn't have been farther from the truth.

The rest of the team had been gone for a whole hour, she'd checked the clock. Annoyance was starting to set in. Tapping her manicured nails on her desk impatiently she kept working on her computer. This was work, weren't they supposed to be _working_? Letting out a heavy sigh she closed the window she was in and opened a nearby case file. Someone's soft laughter behind her caused her to turn around. A woman was leaning on her divider. Her hair was chocolate brown and curly. It reached her chest and it was parted to one side, partially concealing her widow's peak. Her skin was a tan olive color and she wore a tightly fitting black tee shirt. The rest was hidden by the divider. The woman watched as she looked her over. She held out her hand. "Ziva David." She said and, hesitantly, she took it.

"Ellie Bishop." She responded and the woman nodded with pursed lips as she walked around her desk and into the bull pen. She looked around, her eyes almost glazed over. "Can I—help you with something?" She asked when the woman didn't say anything. She looked Middle Eastern but Ellie couldn't place exactly where in the Middle East. Ziva turned to look at her. This time Ellie was the one doing the examining. Slowly, she shook her head as she sat on Tony's desk, one ankle crossed over the other. Neither woman said anything and Ellie sat there watching the mysterious woman. There was something about her. Maybe it was the casual way she walked, like she owned the place. Or maybe it was how the second they were introduced Ziva took on the role of the wiser one, like she knew something Ellie didn't. And no matter how old she was or what situation she was in, that had always succeeded at infuriating her. But right now Ellie wasn't mad, she was intrigued. They knew nothing about each other. There was no way she could have the upper hand, right? In an instant she was ready to play chess and it was her move. "Are you waiting for someone—Gibbs maybe?" She asked and Ellie saw, if only for a moment, Ziva's face change. She hid her emotions well but just for a moment the woman's face showed joy. Ellie nodded and Ziva cocked her head at her.

"I am here to see not only Gibbs—but McGee, Ducky, Abby and Tony as well." She admitted and Ellie raised an eyebrow. The woman was puzzling and she couldn't help but begin to like her. Unlike herself, this "Ziva" was not an open book. She knew she had her secrets too but something about Ziva just screamed mystery and Ellie was determined discover the truth.

"I would point you in the right direction but they seem to be scattered around the building right now." She supplied and Ziva nodded.

"I can wait." Ellie nodded softly. After another brief silence Ziva spoke. "So you work with Gibbs." She said it more as a statement rather than a question. Ellie nodded.

"I do. Have been for a few months now." Ziva nodded as she held back a smile.

"How are they?" She asked and Ellie, deciding not to question it, answered.

"They're well. I have to admit, it was a little rough when I first started. Apparently, I was not the first woman to sit in this chair." She said with a chuckle. Ziva smiled and Ellie watched as her eyes glazed over. She looked like she was stuck in another time.

"How has the team been treating you?" She asked and Ellie pursed her lips.

"Tony, Gibbs and Ducky accepted me pretty quickly. Now, McGee and Abby are a different story. I think McGee is okay with me but I feel like I steal his thunder a little with all the technology stuff. Kinda feel bad." She admitted with a shrug. "—I overheard a conversation between McGee and Tony about it—" She explained as Ziva nodded. "And Abby is still a little hesitant but she's really great." Ellie exclaimed with a smile and Ziva couldn't help but smile too. Ziva sighed and looked around as Ellie worked up the courage to ask what's been on her mind. "Um, would you be offended if I asked you how you know them?" She asked finally and Ziva looked to her and snorted. Before the woman could catch her breath enough to answer there was a voice at the other end of the bull pen. Ziva quickly stopped laughing.

"Ziva?" It asked softly and their heads turned. It was Tony. Gibbs and Tim weren't far behind. The woman stood up gracefully.

"Tony." She replied softly with a longing sort of edge to it. And as the two of them walked towards each other she suddenly knew who Ziva David was.

She was the woman who sat here before her. She was the one whose shoes she had to fill. She was the one who could never really be replaced or forgotten.


End file.
